The Dominion. FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1912. CROWN LAW BUSINESS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1520, 16 August 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1912. CROWN LAW BUSINESS.

The member for Avon, in the course of his speech in the Budget debate, made certain references to the hostility shown to the Ward Government ip Wellington, and the reasons therefor. He commenced by stating that up to the time when the Ward Government altered the Ovown /Law Office arrangements by abolishing the office of Crown Solicitor in this city a certain firm, of solicitors had been receiving from £400Q to £5000 per annum in law costs from the Government. Mr. Russell is rather gjven to' reckless assertion when in difficulties in debate, and it is more than likely that if his figures were divided by two they would be nearer the mark. But that is a mere detail to the class of politician typified by Mr. G. W. Russell. The member for Avon also, intentionally or otherwise, conveyed, the impression that the Crown Law Office had been established for tho purpose of taking over the work previously done by the Crown Solicitor at Wellington, That of course is not the case. There always have been Grown Law Officers, whose duty it was to advise the various Government Departments on ordinary 'Departmental business. What -the Ward Government did was to extend the duties of the Crown Law Office by handing over to it the work done by tho Crown Solicitor in Wellington. Mh. Russell asserted that to the withdrawal of the Government business from the particular legal firm in question was due a groat .deal of the hostility that was shown in Wellington at the last election towards the Ward Government. AVc went through the whole of that campaign, and may be presumed to know at least as much as the member for Avon of what happened here during the election, and we know that the question played no material —if, indeed, any—part at all in the struggle. It was perhaps mentioned onco during the contest for the Suburbs seat, but even then without any sign of heat or feeling. But if any portion of the hostility shown to the Ward Government in this district at the last elections had been due to tho fact stated by Mr. Russell, it would have been justified; and since the member for Avon has thought fit to raise the question, it may be worth while directing attention to a few of the circumstances surrounding it. The position of Grown Solicitor in Wellington had been held bv rljf- .. fcrent members of one firm of solici-

cms, for something like 10 years, and it so happened that at the time the change was made the gentleman filling the office was known to hold political views opposed to those*of tie Uakd Administration. The then Attorney-General discovered that it was desirable to mako a change m the system, and in announcing this conveyed the impression t-ii&t he intended as part of his schonie to abolish the offices of Solicitor and Crown Prosecutor throughout the country, and to have the work done by salaried ofn*' 5 nt^ ched to the Crown Law umee. The proposed change was made known with a flourish of trumpets, and it was stated that it would save tho country a good many thousands a year. Curiously enough, the only place in which the Crown Solcitor was abolished was at Wellington. Why, if it were such a P,™e, did the change stop there? If the change would save all tho money alleged, and was prompted only with a desire to economise, why was not the system extended to operate throughout the Dominion 1 .vt as it that the holders of the offices in other centres wero of the right political colour, or, at any rat*, less objectionable in the sight of the jjpvernmcnt than tho gentleman in Wellington happened to be'l Was it that some other Crown Solicitors and Crown Prosecutors, who were political supporters of the Government, brought pressure to bear upon tho Government to prevent the extension of the new system 1 If, as w R ,V SSELr ' sayst the action of tho Ward Government in this matter was ono of tho best things the Government ever did, how is it that neither the Ward Government nor the Government of which Mr. Russell himself was a member, extended tho operation of the scheme 1 It is Quite possible that some saving has been made by the change; we do not pretend to know. But the bigger the saving the greater tho reason why the system should have been extended. _ Yet the Continuous Ministry, having token the position away from a political opponent in Wellington, whose firm had done the work to the satisfaction of the various Departments affected for between 30 and 40 years, stayed its hand. Mr. Russell might explain why .-the change was not extended to Christchurch and the other centres. Mr. Buddo, another ex-member of tho Continuous Ministry, who also referred to this subject during the debate, might also supply a little information concerning the curious discrimination shown by his Government. No doubt he is aware that prior to the abolition of the office of Crown Solicitor in Wellington tho legal work of a certain Government Department in this city was > done by a practitioner whose partner was a member of Parliament and a supporter of the Ward Government. ■How is it that no alteration was made in this case—then or since? let another Government Department, the legal work of which was done by a private firm in this city, continued, -notwithstanding the altered Crown Law arrangements, to have the work done by the same private firm. In face of these facts what inference is the public to draw! Was.the Ward Government actuated by a genuine desire to economise, or was it actuated bv political venom and anxious to injure a person whom it believed to be a political opponent] Mr. Russell was guilty of another of his tactical blunders when he revived interest in tins question. His friends on' the Opposition side of the House • will hardly thank him for calling attention to a matter which has some very unpleasant features for the supporters of the Continuous Ministry to, face, and all the facts of which have not yet been made public.